Teams: Women's Track & Field: Press Releases

Date: Saturday, March 11, 2000

MURPHY WINS SECOND STRAIGHT 800 METERS NATIONAL TITLE

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Senior Caitlin Murphy (Norwell, MA) of the Tufts University women's track team won the Division III Indoor 800 Meters National Championship Race for the second straight year by posting a 2:12.15 finish at Illinois Wesleyan University today.

Murphy, one of nine Tufts runners competing at the NCAA Indoor Championship Meet this weekend, successfully defended the 800 Meters national title she won last March at Ohio Northern University with a 2:13.39 time. Recently named the NCAA's New England Region Track Athlete of the Year, Murphy won today's 800 national race by more than a second over University of the South's Heather Stone (2:13.61). The victory earned 10 points for the Jumbos.

The women's Distance Medley Relay team placed third in the finals on Friday to earn All-American honors. Sophomore Colleen Burns (Englishtown, NJ) ran 1,200 meters, junior Sarah Deeb (St. Paul, MN) did 400, sophomore Lauren Esposito (Gales Ferry, CT) was the 800 leg and sophomore Leslie Crofton (Somerset, MA) finished with the 1,600 to combine for a 12:00.65 time that was .05 behind second-place Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Williams College won the event with an 11:59.46 time. The effort earned six points for the Jumbos.

The women's 4x400 Meters Relay team also scored a point by placing sixth with a 4:00.91 time. The Jumbo foursome, who each earned All-American honors for their combine effort, was freshman Jenny Ng (Northborough, MA), senior Missy Bargmann (Rochester, NY), Murphy and Deeb. Wheaton College (Mass.) won the event with a 3:50.63 time.

With 17 points overall, Tufts finished seventh at the national meet. Seven women earned All-American status. Wheaton won the team championship.

On the men's side, lone Tufts qualifier Dave Patterson (Northfield, MA) finished ninth in the 1,500 Meters final on Saturday with a 3:57.58 time. North Central's Tim McCoskey won the national championship with a 3:52.79 finish. Lincoln was the team champion.

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